What would I do if I was summoned by an angel?  Would I have looked behind myself or wished I wasn’t there when the angel said, “Come here”?  How would I have reacted to such a fantastical, unbelievable vision?  Would I have wondered if I was dreaming or mistakenly taken some psychedelic drugs? 

Then, in today’s Gospel, Phillip invites Nathanael to “Come and see” about Jesus.  Phillip believed he “had found the one about Whom Moses wrote in the law” and wanted to share this amazing discovery with Nathanael.

Thinking about today’s invitations, I wonder how I would have responded. Would I have been fearful when I was taken on such an astonishing journey?  Thinking about Phillip’s request, would I have responded sarcastically like Nathanael’s: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”

I want to think that I would have boldly joined the angel without thinking twice. Or that I would have gone along with my friend to find out about what he was so excited about.  However, I am not sure I would have.

Fear and cynicism seem to be so prevalent these days in our world.  For me, they can prevent me from doing the right thing, from being open to invitations.

Perhaps next time I get summoned unexpectedly or invited to hear about someone or something new, I can take a “sacred pause” before I dismiss it out of fear or time-constraints or skepticism. This pause will give me a moment to reflect about what I am being invited to do.  And maybe I’ll even remember the lyrics to The Summons before I answer. 

Gracious God, help me be open to your call, to move beyond my fears and jadedness so that I can willingly respond to your invitations to “Come here” and “Come and See.”